FridgeFilters.com Blog

New Water Station from 3M Offers Alternative to Bottled Water

According to an article in the Star Tribune, 3M’s Water Station design was in the works for more than 2 years before finally hitting shelves in 2010, but it was definitely worth the wait. The Filtrete Water Station offers an innovative new approach to how we filter and consume drinking water. The Water Station combines the convenience of bottled water with the cost effective and environmentally friendly practice of filtering tap water. This dual purpose unit fits easily in any home and is sure to be a big hit with families all across the country.

The Filtrete Water Station uses a fast-flow cartridge to quickly dispense filtered water from the station directly into 4 reusable water bottles. The result is an environmentally friendly, inexpensive source for cleaner, better tasting bottled water. The reusable bottles can easily be detached from the water station and either refrigerated for later use or taken on the road as you rush out the door to soccer practice, dance rehearsal or a visit to grandma’s house.

The filter cartridge can be easily replaced and recycled and Filtrete also offers consumers the ability to order additional water bottles for the station so you can be sure to always have a supply of bottled water ready to go.

How to Purify Water

Most of the time we have access to clean water and water treatment is not an issue, but what about those other times?

If you have ever been camping you may have been tempted to drink from a freshly flowing stream or crystal clear lake. Chances are you didn’t know what else may have been in the water with you. Any time you drink water from an untreated source such as a river, lake, or in some developing countries, you could be at risk from water-borne viruses and bacteria that can cause diseases.

I found a great article on the Wired How-To Wiki that provides an in depth guide for purifying untreated water, found here.

Of course, if you know you will be out hiking, biking, camping, or traveling to other countries where safe drinking water is a concern you can also plan ahead and try one of the Katadyn purifying water bottles. The Katadyn bottles double as both a filter and a dispenser and their lightweight design makes them perfect for on-the-go use.

If water-borne viruses are a concern you should definitely consider getting one of the Katadyn MyBottle purifiers that includes a virustat filter.

Putting a premium on fine water

A friend recently shared with me a website he found all about Premium Bottled Water. The owner of the site has a PhD in Food Anthropology and contends that not all waters are equal.

So I pointed my browser to his site and read on to learn about the characteristics of "fine water". According to the site the following list represents the differences in taste found in water, Balance™ (carbonation), Virginality™ (nitrate), Minerality™ (tds), Orientation™ (pH), Hardness (Ca & Mg), and Vintage (age).

Sounds more like a wine list than a water resource, but what really blew me away was the price for these premium quality bottled waters. With names like Blue Republic, Island Ice and Etrusca, these exotic waters are bottled all over the world from "natural" springs and the crystal clear waters of hidden lakes.

And this is why you should pay almost $4 a bottle to drink them. Really? Did I read that right? One brand sold a case of twelve 1 liter water bottles for $40. That's a little more than 3 gallons of water for $40. Other premium brands do not even offer a price online and instead ask the customer to call for a price.

Supposedly we should desire these expensive brands for their superior taste and quality. Tap water could not possibly taste as good, right? Think again. The thing that often causes tap water to have a bad after taste is the presence of impurities in the water. A simple water filter on your tap will remove these contaminants and provide you with great tasting water for a fraction of the cost of bottled water.

I personally use a BRITA faucet filter and find that the improvement in the taste of my tap water is great. Plus the low cost of the replacement filter means I am only paying about $0.19 per gallon of drinking water.

To drink, or not to drink - further revelations on the quality of our drinking water

Let’s face it, we have to have water to survive, but where should we go to find safe, clean, great tasting drinking water?  I read an article in the Washington Post that does a really good job of highlighting this dilemma and also offers some water quality facts that everyone should know. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to get a better picture of the water quality issues we face.

To start with what options do we have? Fortunately most of us have access to some form of reliable water supply; unfortunately this same water source most likely contains contaminants of some variety. Even in cases where the water you draw from the tap has been tested and treated to remove harmful contaminants there can still be trace levels of chemicals (such as chlorine) and other particles that are not filtered out before reaching your faucet.  Trace levels of some contaminants are considered “safe” for human consumption, but there are many more that are currently unregulated and could be present in your drinking water without anyone throwing up a red flag.

The potential safety hazard posed by drinking contaminated tap water has driven many consumers to drink bottled water instead. While bottled water sales have boomed in the U.S. over the last decade some estimates show the price for bottled water is astronomically higher than that of tap water. A cost you could easily choose to pay for safe drinking water, but the reality is that the “higher quality” found in bottled water is in many cases a myth. Some companies simply bottle tap water and sell it in a pretty plastic bottle, while others have been forced to perform product recalls when toxins including mold and bacteria were found in their products. This type of contamination of drinking water is possible because bottled water quality is not regulated by the EPA and in many cases is subject to far less stringent safety standards.

The final option is easily the best choice if you really want the safest, cheapest and best tasting drinking water. A quality carbon based water filter can help remove many of the contaminants found in tap water making it much safer to drink and even improving taste. Water filtration systems are available for virtually any water quality issue and the savings when compared to the cost of bottled water will pay for the cost of the filter ten times over.  It’s a simple choice.

Boil Water Warnings in Tennessee and Massachusetts

Warnings have been issued to boil water before using it for drinking or cooking due to flooding in parts of Massachusetts and Tennessee.

Please be sure to follow appropriate safety procedures if you live in an area where your drinking water has become contaminated. Here are some helpful tips to follow...

• There may be unknown contaminants in water that may or may not be on list of impurities removed by an installed filter. Fridge filters do not remove minerals, for example.
• Immediately turn off water connection to fridge
• Replace all filters (faucet, fridge) that were installed when water went bad, after 'all clear' is given.
• Toss all ice as it may be contaminated.

For helpful instructions on emergency disinfection of drinking water you can visit the EPA website here.

Better than Bottled Water

If you have been out to eat recently you may have noticed something new at your favorite dining establishment or coffee shop; a water filtration system. Many companies use commercial water filtration systems to improve the taste and quality of beverages like tea, coffee and juices. Now some companies are moving away from serving bottled water altogether and instead are serving filtered tap water to customers.

Filtered water is cheaper and more green-friendly than bottled water and tastes just as good. Restaurants are tapping into the many benefits of serving filtered drinking water and you can too! Commercial quality water filtration systems are available for your home. The 3M Filtrete 3US-PS01 Under Professional Water Filtration System is easy to install and noticeably improves the taste of drinking water and won’t break your bank account.

Installing an under sink water filtration system is much easier than you might think. If you want to make this your next home improvement project check out 3M’s installation video for detailed instructions on the tools you will need and some tips for easy installation.

Tap Water vs Bottled Water: Dollars and Sense

A lot of attention has been given to the many issues surrounding bottled water. Two of the biggest concerns that have come forward are the environmental impact of disposing of so many plastic water bottles and also the quality of your drinking water. Studies have shown that a very low percentage of plastic water bottles are actually recycled resulting in a great deal of waste. In addition, many companies do not perform any extra steps to treat and purify your drinking water and are simply filling plastic bottles from a municipal water source.

If those reasons are not enough to convince you to look for other sources for safe, great tasting drinking water, here is one more: cost. A comparison of the cost of tap water and bottled water from a report on foodandwaterwatch.org estimates that a gallon of water from your faucet would cost approximately $0.002 per gallon. A gallon of the exact same tap water that is treated with a water filtration system (refrigerator filter, pitcher filter, undersink system, etc) averages between $0.10 and $0.20 depending on the system. Bottled water presents the highest cost per gallon at $0.89 to $8.26. Even if we only consider the low end cost of $0.89 per gallon it is still four to eight times more expensive to drink bottled water. It just makes sense to move away from drinking bottled water and get back to using water from the tap in our own home.

Tap water is not always safe to drink and you should consult your local utility's Consumer Confidence Report (often found in your monthly bill) for information about what exactly is in your water. Knowing what is in your tap water will tell you what type of filter you will need to get the best drinking water from your tap. The good news is that once you know what contaminants you want to remove you can control the quality of the water you receive from your tap with the use of the appropriate water filtration system.

There are numerous styles and levels of filtration available for residential use and you can pick the one that is the best fit for you. Our Water Filter Guide includes all of the information you will need to select the right system for your home including a detailed breakdown of which contaminants are removed by each filter.

Could tap water actually be safer than bottled water?

A Congressional investigation found that the FDA’s regulations for bottled water are significantly lower and have less oversight than the EPA’s requirements for the water that comes from the faucet in your home.

So what does that mean for me?  

Bottled water is often thought to be cleaner and better for your health than ordinary tap water, but current legislation does not require companies that produce bottled water to provide any proof that their water is coming from a cleaner source, such as a natural spring or filtration plant. Further, there is a potential health risk to consumers drinking bottled water if DEHP, a chemical used in the plastic, leaches into the water.

But I like bottled water; it is convenient and tastes better than tap water.

Having clean, cool water to drink is great, but there are other ways to get your hands on a convenient and refreshing drink of water. Water filters can remove many particles from tap water and will even eliminate chlorine taste and any odors.  Using canteens and other reusable bottles is a cost-effective and eco-friendly alternative to buying plastic water bottles.

Where can I get filtered water?

Water filters are available for any home with running water. Many popular refrigerator models come with a built in water dispenser that uses a filter to help purify your drinking water. Some examples of common fridge filters are: the GE MWF, Whirlpool 4396710, and the Frigidaire WF2CB. If you do not have a refrigerator with a built in filtration system you can always try an under sink of whole house filter to remove contaminates from your drinking water.  Water filters should be replaced about every 6 months to maintain the best quality drinking water. For more information on replacement filters please feel free to use our water filter guide to find the right filter for your home or refrigerator.

So what is the bottom line?

Bottled water is not guaranteed to be any cleaner than tap water, but if you filter your own water you can be sure that it is cleaner and safer to drink. Refilling canteens and other reusable containers is better for the environment and cheaper than purchasing bottled water.

CDC creates new website dedicated to Drinking Water

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have created a new website dedicated to the safety of our drinking water.

Topics discussed include:

• Public Water Systems
• Private Water Systems
• Water Flouridation
• Camping, Hiking, Travel
• Bottled Water

From the site:

Whether you receive your drinking water from the tap, via commercially-bottled water, or through a personal filtration device, it is important to know where your water comes from, how it has been treated, and whether it is safe to drink!

CDC Drinking Water Home Page:  http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/index.html

Time to go back to the tap

PlentyMag.com has a nice article touting the benefits of switching from bottled water back to filtered tap water.  Also contains links to so good resources including the EPA's Safe Water site.

http://www.plentymag.com/events/2008/10/water_filter_news.php